Page 169 - United States

Crews start removing first piece of steel from collapsed Baltimore bridge

Teams of engineers worked Saturday on the intricate process of cutting and lifting the first section of twisted steel from the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, which crumpled into the Patapsco River this week after a massive cargo ship crashed into one of its supports. Sparks could be seen flying from a section of bent and crumpled steel in the afternoon, and video released by officials in the evening showed demolition crews using a cutting torch to slice through the thick beams. The joint incident command said in a statement that the work was being done on the top of the north side of the collapsed structure. Crews were carefully measuring and cutting the steel from the broken bridge before attaching straps so it can be lifted onto a barge and floated away, Coast Guard Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said. Seven floating cranes - including a massive one capable of lifting 1,000 tons - 10 tugboats, nine barges, eight salvage vessels and five Coast Guard boats were on site in the water

US approves bombs, warplanes sales to Israel amid escalating tensions

While the Biden administration has expressed concerns about the potential ramifications of an Israeli offensive in southern Gaza, it has refrained from conditioning aid or imposing restrictions

TCS layoffs: Over 20 employees in US cry foul, file complaint against firm

With the industry facing low demand, several of the large IT firms have been looking at ways to cut costs

Arab states ready to recognise Israel in future deal, says Joe Biden

Biden has faced pressure from progressives and Muslim and Arab Americans who want the administration to do more to rein in Israel's military campaign in Gaza to root out Hamas

Baltimore bridge: Biden okays $60 mn aid, Guv warns of long road ahead

Maryland Governor Wes Moore warned Thursday of a "very long road ahead" to recover from the loss of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge as the Biden administration approved USD 60 million in immediate federal aid after the deadly collapse. Massive barges carrying cranes streamed toward the site to begin the challenging work of removing twisted metal and concrete as a first step toward reopening a key shipping route blocked by the wreckage of the span. Moore promised that "the best minds in the world" were working on plans to clear the debris, move the cargo ship that rammed into the bridge from the channel, recover the bodies of the four remaining workers presumed dead and investigate what went wrong. "Government is working hand in hand with industry to investigate the area, including the wreck, and remove the ship," said Moore, a Democrat, who said quick aid is needed to "lay the foundation for a rapid recovery". President Joe Biden has pledged the federal government would pay the

US names Brendan Lynch as assistant USTR for South and Central Asia

For the past 11 years, Lynch has been a member of the USTR team, serving in several capacities related to the South and Central Asia region

Baltimore bridge collapse puts specialised role of pilot under spotlight

The expert pilots who navigate massive ships in and out of Baltimore's port must often manoeuvre with just two feet of clearance from the channel floor and memorise charts, currents and every other possible maritime variable. The highly specialised role -- in which a pilot temporarily takes control of a ship from its regular captain -- is coming under the spotlight this week. Two pilots were at the helm of the cargo ship Dali about 1.25 am Tuesday when it lost power and, minutes later, crashed into a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the bridge to collapse and kill six construction workers. While the incident will undoubtedly raise larger questions about ship and port safety protocols, so far there is no indication the pilots on the Dali did anything wrong given the immediate situation they faced. The ship sent out a mayday call, which gave just enough time for authorities to close the bridge to traffic and likely prevented further deaths. The lead pilot also dropped

US and UK probe $20 billion of crypto transfers to Russian exchange

The Biden administration has been attempting to squeeze crypto exchanges like Garantex since the early days of the war

Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison

Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced on Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency. Bankman-Fried, 32, was convicted in November of fraud and conspiracy a dramatic fall from a crest of success that included a Super Bowl advertisement and celebrity endorsements from stars like quarterback Tom Brady, basketball star Stephen Curry and comedian Larry David. US District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan imposed the sentence in the same Manhattan courtroom where, four months ago, Bankman-Fried testified that his intention had been to revolutionize the emerging cryptocurrency market with his innovative and altruistic ideas, not to steal. Kaplan said the sentence reflected that there is a risk that this man will be in position to do something very bad in the future. And it's not a trivial risk at all. He added that it was for the purpose of disabling him to th

Baltimore accident: Embassy in touch with Indians onboard ship, says MEA

There are 20 Indians onboard the cargo ship which hit a bridge in Baltimore in the US a few days ago and the Indian Embassy is in close touch with them and the local authorities, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. The 2.6-km-long, four-lane Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River in Baltimore, came crashing down after the 984-foot ship 'Dali' collided against it in the early hours of Tuesday. "Our information is that there are 21 crew members, of which 20 are Indians. All of them are in good shape, good health. One of them got injured slightly, needed to have some stitches, and stitches have been given. And, he has gone back to the ship," MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to a query during his weekly media briefing here. He also said the Indian Embassy in the US is in "close touch with the Indians onboard the ship and also local authorities".

US authorities interviewing personnel, Indian crew onboard crippled ship

US authorities have begun interviewing personnel, including Indian crew members, onboard the crippled container ship 'Dali' that collided against a key bridge in Baltimore this week. The 2.6-km-long, four-lane Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River, came crashing down after the 984-foot ship collided against it. Shipping company Synergy Group, which manages the Singapore-flagged 'DALI', said in a statement on Thursday that the US agency National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) boarded the vessel on Wednesday and collected documents, voyage data recorder extracts, and other evidence as part of their investigation. "The NTSB also began interviewing crew members. We will continue to cooperate with investigators throughout this process, Synergy said. DALI's owners Grace Ocean Pte Ltd and Synergy had confirmed the safety of all crew members and two pilots aboard the vessel. They, however, reported one minor injury and said the injured crew member had been treated and ...

US revises economic growth estimate to 3.4% annual pace for Oct-Dec quarter

The US economy grew at a solid 3.4 per cent annual pace from October through December, the government said Thursday in an upgrade from its previous estimate. The government had previously estimated that the economy grew at a 3.2 per cent annual rate last quarter. The Commerce Department's revised measure of the nation's gross domestic product the total output of goods and services confirmed that the economy decelerated from its sizzling 4.9 per cent rate of expansion in the July-September quarter. But last quarter's growth was still a solid performance, coming in the face of higher interest rates and powered by growing consumer spending, exports and business investment in buildings and software. It marked the sixth straight quarter in which the economy has grown at an annual rate above 2 per cent. For all of 2023, the US economy the world's biggest grew 2.5 per cent, up from 1.9 per cent in 2022. In the current January-March quarter, the economy is believed to be growing at a .

Days after Baltimore bridge collapses, union fears loss of 2,400 jobs

Dock workers are hired daily based on what's needed, without a guarantee of pay if the port is shut down, Cowan said. As a result, union members have been reaching out

Baltimore bridge collapse: US safety investigators recover black box

The disaster forced the indefinite closure of the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard, and created a traffic quagmire for Baltimore and the surrounding region

1 Indian crew sustained minor injury in Baltimore bridge collision

One of the 22 Indian crew manning a cargo ship, Dali, which collided against a bridge in Baltimore has suffered a "minor injury" while the rest are all safe aboard the vessel, owners of the Singapore-flagged ship said on Wednesday. The 2.6km-long, four-lane Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River in Baltimore, came crashing down after Dali, a 984-foot cargo ship, collided against it in the early hours of Tuesday. We confirm the safety of all crew members and two pilots aboard Dali', with one minor injury reported. The injured crew member has been treated and discharged from hospital, a statement by owners Grace Ocean Pte Ltd and ship manager of Dali, posted on the website of ship management company Synergy Marine Group. The name and other details of the crew have not been released. Authorities from the US Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board boarded the vessel to carry out investigations, it said. Synergy had said in a statement Tuesday after the accident

Oil prices fell for second day on Wednesday on surging U.S. stockpiles

OPEC+ this month agreed to extend output cuts of about 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd) to the end of June, though Russia and Iraq have had to go to extra lengths to tackle over-production

Baltimore bridge collapse: Ship that crashed has a troubled history

The incident is proving disruptive for shipping at one of the busiest ports on the US East Coast and also for road transport, as it severed a key link on the major highway encircling Baltimore

'No-fail' mission to protect Red Sea fails as Houthi attacks continue

The Houthi campaign, which claimed its first civilian ship sunk in early March and its first fatalities not long after, is also a growing threat to the global economy

Donald Trump barred from attacking jurors, lawyers in hush-money trial

Trump is accused in the case of falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment to a porn star before the 2016 election, part of an alleged scheme to keep voters in the dark

US top court likely to preserve access to abortion medication mifepristone

The Supreme Court on Tuesday seemed likely to preserve access to a medication that was used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the US last year, in the court's first abortion case since conservative justices overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago. In nearly 90 minutes of arguments, a consensus appeared to emerge that the abortion opponents who challenged the FDA's approval of the medication, mifepristone, and subsequent actions to ease access to it, lack the legal right or standing to sue. Such a decision would leave in place the current rules that allow patients to receive the drug through the mail, without any need for an in-person visit with a doctor, and to take the medication to induce an abortion through 10 weeks of pregnancy. Should the court take the no-standing route, it would avoid the more politically sensitive aspects of the case. The high court's return to the abortion thicket is taking place in a political and regulatory landscape that was reshaped by its abortion